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I had nothing to fear from that letter: absolutely nothing! All I feared was to bring notoriety, scandal, on the familyon you and May. Good God, he groaned again, bowing his face in his hands. The silence that followed lay on them with the weight of things final and irrevocable. It seemed to Archer to be crushing him down like his own grave-stone; in all the wide future he saw nothing that would ever lift that load from his heart. He did not move from his place, or raise his head from his hands; his hidden eyeballs went on staring into utter darkness. At least I loved you he brought out. On the other side of the hearth, from the sofa-corner where he supposed that she still crouched, he heard a faint stifled crying like a childs. He started up and came to her side. Ellen! What madness! Why are you crying? Nothings done that cant be undone. Im still free, and youre going to be. He had her in his arms, her face like a wet flower at his lips, and all their vain terrors shrivelling up like ghosts at sunrise. The one thing that astonished him now was that he should have stood for five minutes arguing with her across the width of the room, when just touching her made everything so simple. She gave him back all his kiss, but after a moment he felt her stiffening in his arms, and she put him aside and stood up. Ah, my poor NewlandI suppose this had to be. But it doesnt in the least alter things, she said, looking down at him in her turn from the hearth. It alters the whole of life for me. No, noit mustnt, it cant. Youre engaged to May Welland; and Im married. He stood up too, flushed and resolute. Nonsense! Its too late for that sort of thing. Weve no right to lie to other people or to ourselves. We wont talk of your marriage; but do you see me marrying May after this? She stood silent, resting her thin elbows on the mantelpiece, her profile reflected in the glass behind her. One of the locks of her chignon had become loosened and hung on her neck; she looked haggard and almost old. I dont see you, she said at length, putting that question to May. Do you? He gave a reckless shrug. Its too late to do anything else. You say that because its the easiest thing to say at this momentnot because its true. In reality its too late to do anything but what wed both decided on. Ah, I dont understand you! She forced a pitiful smile that pinched her face instead of smoothing it. You dont understand because you havent yet guessed how youve changed things for me: oh, from the firstlong before I knew all youd done. All Id done? Yes. I was perfectly unconscious at first that people here were shy of methat they thought I was a dreadful sort of person. It seems they had even refused to meet me at dinner. I found that out afterward; and |
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